PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 247, 24 November 1909, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, -NOVEMBER 23. By Telegraph-Press Association. Wellington, Last Nighl. THE STATE JUNE STRIKE. The House met at 2.30. Replying to Air. Davey, the Hon. K. McKenzie, Minister of Alines, said that if a fresh arrangement were not made, I the men working at the State coal mine I would go out. Negotiations had hem • going on between the Miners' Union and I the management at Point Elizabeth, I with a view to arriving at a new agreement. The Minister, though well aware of the position, said he had not deemed it his duty to interfere. He mas not able to state the actual position at the moment.' THE SURTAX.

The Premier gave notice of niotnii bl for Friday to suMiluto a 2.% per cent. »' surtax on duty paid on dutiable goods Si for the one per cent, primage upon the si value of gooils recently imported, with ci a view to meeting the objection to Hi.; a latter tax. The surtax would produoe n slightly more than the primage duty o anil would be quite fair to everybody. * On the suggestion of Mr. Ijaunie, ll'ic p Premier asked leave to move the r;- v solution to-day, su as to remove the ; n- o convenience at present caused by I lie u primage duty. Mr. Masscy said the proper procedure / was to bring down proposals to increase s taxation by (.iovernor's message. The Speaker ruled that a (iovernor's r message was unnecessary in the mat- , ter if the motion was moved by a Minis- i tcr of the Crown. j The Premier, having obtained the , leave asked, the House went into Com- ] mittee of Ways and Means to consider . the motion. Air. Alassey said the surtax would ', mean greatly increased taxation on articles already paying heavy duties, . such as tobacco. The Premier, when ; bringing the motion forward, ought to be able to tell the House what the result of the proposals would be. Members should have had a day's notice to look into the matter. Sir Joseph Ward replied that the surtax on the total amount of estimated ■ duty, £2,000,000, would, if the duty i were all collected in one year, produce L £05,000. i Mr. T. Taylor protested that the increased taxation should have been on , luxuries in preference to necessaries. , Minister might have increased the tux | on spirits and beer. Customs taxation, , on the whole, was objectionable, 'because ', it iwaa indirect, and the average man was unaware how much he was paying. Mr. Allen considered the present proposal a great improvement on primage s duty. " .Mr. Taylor (Cliristehurch) moved an r amendment to the effect that the Minis- " tcr of Finance raise the necessary taxation by means of increased Customs and c excise duties on such articles of luxury f as wines, spirits, tobacco and beer. e The amendment was lost by 40 to 13, s and the motion carried on the voices. , ( The House rose at 5.30. [. On the TTousc resuming this evenin*, ~ the debate on the taxation resolutwn was continued. At the report stage, Mr Taylor (Christehurch) moved aa an amendment that a portion of the taxation be raised by means of a 25 per cent, increase in excise duty levied on beer.

Mr. Wright seconded the amendment, which, on a. division, was negatived bv 44 to 21. Mr. .Masscy slated that under the new proposals spirits would pay £1.1,. •nOO additional, and tobacco £14,01)7. He condemned the unbusinesslike methods of the Government, which were responsible for the present difficulty. Sir Joseph Ward expressed surprise *| the attempt of the Opposition to make party capital out of the question He would consider the propriety of abolishing the tax on tobacco and putting it on to the land tax. On the question of the third reading, Mr. Massey said he never liked the Dreadnought proposals, and if the Go?eminent had told the people it would involve taxation there would not ha,e been so much enthusiasm about it. The country was committed to the expend!hire without Parliament being consulted. As regards the Premier's threat to increase the graduated land tax, that had im effect on the Opposition. He thought a. general election should precede the taxation. H e admitted frankly that he was malting .political capital out oi the question, and he would continue to do so. Mr. Laurcnson drew a comparison between the proportionate amount of ta_. a-tion paid by the wealthy and the labormg classes, and said fixation had to be adjusted so as to fall on the shouldeis of those best able to bear it. Mr. Wright said the cost of living had undoubtedly increased 0 f ]ate yea " t proposals were being nmde to * taxation. The Premier defended the taxation proposals, winch he said would be acceptable to the people generally. He challenged the Opposition to brin* forward a motion traversing the Governinents scheme and at the same time offering an alternative one. The motion was agreed to The following MiJla were introduced by message of the Governor, and read a first timer-Land for Settlement Adminrstration, Land Laws Amendment, a Bill to make revision for th-. warship presented to King Edward, and the Deceased Persons Estate Bill 4i Tl '£ Ho H Se , wcnt into committee on "Bil, Zea,and State G "<* A * Sitting).